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Quinn Simmons quotes after winning the green King of the Mountains jersey in Tirreno-Adriatico.
RACE AND JERSEY GOALS
“The KOM jersey was definitely not a goal at the beginning of Tirreno and even the day in which I took it. We came here basically to support Cicco (Giulio Ciccone) and to look for good chances to win a stage and when I went in the breakaway in Stage 4 that was the goal. The jersey came a bit by chance. I thought it would be nice be on the podium in a WorldTour race like Tirreno. Then, together with the team, we realized that trying to keep it was a good idea. We had not really much to lose in trying. I know that could appear bit weird to see me with this jersey. It was hard but I’m really proud of it; it’s a nice surprise.”
“It takes a lot of effort to get my weight up climbs like the one I found at Tirreno. Especially yesterday on Carpegna. It was quite hard and, at the same time, motivating to climb having fans again on the road cheering for you. In some way, it was definitely a new experience because normally my position in the peloton in stages like is behind or in the gruppetto. I tried something new and I’m happy I did it.”
“The jersey is a nice prize in the end. It’s my first WorldTour jersey and a nice gift at the end of the race, something I did not expect coming in. It was a good week.”
ROAD TO CLASSICS
“In my schedule, Tirreno was the best way to prepare for the Classics. I'm happy with how the legs are feeling after these efforts. Strade Bianche was a good start, then Tirreno an important step in my growth. With my coach we made some changes in my winter preparation and really focused to improve my climbing a bit, especially in view of Strade Bianche, which was a goal for me. I’m a bit skinnier than I’ve been before and bit more than some Classics riders, but I think I took a good step in view of the Classics.”
“In terms of the Classics, I’ll race Amstel Gold Race later in April, but I’ll skip Milano-Sanremo this year because I feel I need 10 days to take a break in view of the cobbles. Last year, my first Classicissima, it was a nice experience. For sure it's a race I want to do again in the future and maybe even target it.”
“I’m happy for my start of the season and I think the Team are too. My teammates in Paris-Nice, Mads (Pedersen) and Jasper (Stuyven), above all, showed to be on form and hungry for the coming races. I’m already excited.”
Photo ©Sprint Cycling
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